merdeka Merdeka MERDEKA!

Those were the words we shouted out when the clock ticked midnight. There were at least 30 of us Malaysian who decided to be patriotic, harking to my call to gather to cheer and sing our national anthem. The word spread like a wild fire. Tots called people from Richo, aik called his friends from normanby and i called all in roberts. Despite the short notice and the allowance of 30 minutes from not knowing whats going on, to be utterly enthusiastic.

We gathered outside Richo's common room. The crowd was too big, hence the guards watching our every move. We were like forming an illegal gathering waiting to proceed to a riot. Thinking quickly and decided not to dissapoint everyone that came down in their night clothes, aik and i decided to go to hill in the middle of Roberts hall. (the hill is in the center where all the room windows of roberts and richo faced). When we were on the hill, we had 2 more minutes. I was hesitating when to start since estimating when the 10 second countdown from my handphone clock. I made a rough guess, and inhaled... and i led by shouting....

10,9,8........1. merdeka Merdeka MERDEKA!!!

Everyone shouted as one. one citizenship. one voice, in a foreign land

(btw, australia doesnt have an independance day, i found out quite recently, they are still under the british through some technicality in order to maintain a western image in an asian continent)

The shouts of merdeka were then followed by our national anthem, which we all sang proudly on top of a mountain, waking the whole of roberts hall and richo. We saw people from the window drawing their curtains to check what the F**K was going on with such a racket. They peered through, then they jerked it closed with anger. The guards were hot on our voices, they gradually climbed the hill to stop the noise, just as they were close enough to say anything, we finished the national anthem and we fled. Yes we fled. Like a bunch of DVD sellers in a pasar malam when the police came.

Malaysian who heard us from their rooms, came down to see whether there was a formal gathering. The others thought we were a nuisance. Some thought our gathering at richo earlier was a fight. But all of us who sang on top of our lungs were proud (not the running away part) that we were celebrating our first Independance Day outside our country.

I didnt know i could be so patriotic to do such things after the country has thrown me to jail based on nothing(read corrupted malaysia link) and suspended my license because i followed the "efficient" system.

BUT i was glad, that the need to celebrate this day was satisfied. to be patriotic